Teddy Bridgewater is Not the Ponder

Oct 5, 2014 7:04:49 GMT -6 Mothman said:

I have to disagree with you about that point. A team, in the truest sense of the word, should pick each other up. I think that's exactly what happened in Bridgewater's start against Atlanta. The OL gave him great protection. They opened up gaping holes and Asiata and McKinnon ran for over 200 yards! On the Vikes third play of the game, Wright took a short pass 52 yards to set up a TD. Again and again, Bridgewater's teammates put him in position to succeed and he reciprocated. It's a two way street and when a team gets down to it's third string QB, that's definitely a time when the QBs teammates need to step up and help him be his best because third string QBs who step in and "pick up" their team might be the biggest rarity in football.

Consider how the Vikes started that game on thursday and how little Ponder had to do with it at first. the defense forced GB to go three and out. Good start. Then the Vikes got the ball, at their own 14, ran Asiata up the middle for 3 yards, attempted a pass to ford which resulted in a holding call on Loadholt (first mistake), leaving them backed up at their own 9. Ponder attempted a deep throw to Wright and there was clearly some sort of miscommunication on the play (second mistake). On third down, they tried a screen that Asiata dropped 9and it was going nowhere).

The defense came back out, let Lacy run through them like they were made of paper, and then Munnerlyn blew his coverage on Cobb for an easy TD. More mistakes.

The offense then moved the ball for a first down and failed to convert a subsequent third down when turner inexplicably called a double crossing route on 3rd and 3 that appeared to send both crossing receivers short of the marker. Ponder threw to Wright for 2 yards, one short of the first down. Another mistake, maybe on Turner, maybe on Wright maybe on ponder but a definitely a mistake.
One punt and 4 plays later and nelson was scoring an ridiculously easy 66 yard TD.

The team was making big mistakes and blowing that game before Ponder even started playing the awful game he went on to play. He showed a lack of leadership but leadership isn't the exclusive province of quarterbacks. The Vikes rolled over and played dead for Green bay on Thursday night. Ponder or no Ponder, that was inexcusable. 

I was typing out a much more detailed response when I "lost the message" grr.  So I'm going to hit the high points (it's frustrating when that happens)

1) Leadership isn't the exclusive province of quarterbacks, but it is the primary one.  Yes others could have stepped up.  The one person that I know *should* have stepped up..didn't

2) You learn to become a leader by doing what other excellent leaders have done before you. You become proficient in your job or skill, and then you become proficient at understanding the motivations and behaviors of other people. As a leader, you combine your personal competencies with the competencies of others into a smoothly functioning team that can outplay and outperform all its competitors.  (Teddy did this - it remains to be seen if he will continue against tougher oppositions, but he did it so far.  Ponder did not).

3)  Despite the belief/assertion the team was making mistakes before Ponder's awful play, I disagree.  The defense had a bad start, but that the point where you stop documenting what they did, they had two more consecutive 3-and-outs.  The game was 14-0 in the first half (I know I don't need to remind you of a game we trailed by 20 in the 4th quarter that we ultimately won) even with the "less-than-perfect" play by the defense.  I didn't think they were "awful" at that point.  Do I wish we hadn't given up the 'easy scores'? Yes, but we're still very much in this game.

4) After all that effort Ponder's pick-6 gives up another score that the defense can't even stop.  Now it's 21-0 and if that's not bad enough, Ponder then throws a 2nd interception on the next play. I just can't reconcile the belief that somehow the offense AND defense are equally responsible for A 28-0 score at that point.  The defense has been doing it's job against one of the better QBs in the league.  The Offense has not been doing it's job against one of the more marginal defenses in the league.  I assign more blame to the offense as a whole.  At this point, the game was "out-of-hand" and the defense struggled more, but for 1/2 the game they played pretty decent.  I don't agree the offense ever did.  YMMV

5) Ponder, rightly or wrongly, was supposed to be the leader of the offense on Thursday.  He fell woefully short.  Even on their first series where they got a first down, that was on two Asiata runs, not because Ponder had anything to do with it.  He stared down Patterson on his first pass which was tipped by a GB linebacker and fell incomplete.  Later, he also badly missed a wide open McKinnon only 2 yards from the LOS.  Ponder was being carried by Asiata (if anything).  The OL did Ponder no favors on a couple of plays, but even when Ponder had good protection, and he did some of the time, Ponder rarely made positive plays.

6) Bridgewater made the plays when he needed to.  Period.  I don't know if it's because he's a legitimate passing threat (although I suspect it's because of that) or what, but it seemed we ran better, and blocked better.  In reality, we have the same "warts" as Zimmer put it, but Teddy is able to "elevate" those around him so they are not so noticable.  Ponder is not.  It may not be fair, but it's the way the cards have fallen.  I wish Ponder was a good QB, I really do.  He seems like a 'stand-up' guy and I hope he does better and ultimately plays well for some other team.  I truly believe at this point, he never will.  The mistakes made by a young defense?  I still have faith that they can be fixed.  The OL?  I'm getting more cynical, but I'm hopeful they can be fixed.  Ponder?  4th year in the league and looking like he did when he was a Rookie?  I convinced he will look like this whether in his 4th or 14th year in the NFL from now. >.<

Oct 5, 2014 7:04:49 GMT -6 Mothman said:

I have to disagree with you about that point. A team, in the truest sense of the word, should pick each other up. I think that's exactly what happened in Bridgewater's start against Atlanta. The OL gave him great protection. They opened up gaping holes and Asiata and McKinnon ran for over 200 yards! On the Vikes third play of the game, Wright took a short pass 52 yards to set up a TD. Again and again, Bridgewater's teammates put him in position to succeed and he reciprocated. It's a two way street and when a team gets down to it's third string QB, that's definitely a time when the QBs teammates need to step up and help him be his best because third string QBs who step in and "pick up" their team might be the biggest rarity in football.

Consider how the Vikes started that game on thursday and how little Ponder had to do with it at first. the defense forced GB to go three and out. Good start. Then the Vikes got the ball, at their own 14, ran Asiata up the middle for 3 yards, attempted a pass to ford which resulted in a holding call on Loadholt (first mistake), leaving them backed up at their own 9. Ponder attempted a deep throw to Wright and there was clearly some sort of miscommunication on the play (second mistake). On third down, they tried a screen that Asiata dropped 9and it was going nowhere).

The defense came back out, let Lacy run through them like they were made of paper, and then Munnerlyn blew his coverage on Cobb for an easy TD. More mistakes.

The offense then moved the ball for a first down and failed to convert a subsequent third down when turner inexplicably called a double crossing route on 3rd and 3 that appeared to send both crossing receivers short of the marker. Ponder threw to Wright for 2 yards, one short of the first down. Another mistake, maybe on Turner, maybe on Wright maybe on ponder but a definitely a mistake.
One punt and 4 plays later and nelson was scoring an ridiculously easy 66 yard TD.

The team was making big mistakes and blowing that game before Ponder even started playing the awful game he went on to play. He showed a lack of leadership but leadership isn't the exclusive province of quarterbacks. The Vikes rolled over and played dead for Green bay on Thursday night. Ponder or no Ponder, that was inexcusable. 

I was typing out a much more detailed response when I "lost the message" grr.  So I'm going to hit the high points (it's frustrating when that happens)

1) Leadership isn't the exclusive province of quarterbacks, but it is the primary one.  Yes others could have stepped up.  The one person that I know *should* have stepped up..didn't

2) You learn to become a leader by doing what other excellent leaders have done before you. You become proficient in your job or skill, and then you become proficient at understanding the motivations and behaviors of other people. As a leader, you combine your personal competencies with the competencies of others into a smoothly functioning team that can outplay and outperform all its competitors.  (Teddy did this - it remains to be seen if he will continue against tougher oppositions, but he did it so far.  Ponder did not).

3)  Despite the belief/assertion the team was making mistakes before Ponder's awful play, I disagree.  The defense had a bad start, but that the point where you stop documenting what they did, they had two more consecutive 3-and-outs.  The game was 14-0 in the first half (I know I don't need to remind you of a game we trailed by 20 in the 4th quarter that we ultimately won) even with the "less-than-perfect" play by the defense.  I didn't think they were "awful" at that point.  Do I wish we hadn't given up the 'easy scores'? Yes, but we're still very much in this game.

4) After all that effort Ponder's pick-6 gives up another score that the defense can't even stop.  Now it's 21-0 and if that's not bad enough, Ponder then throws a 2nd interception on the next play. I just can't reconcile the belief that somehow the offense AND defense are equally responsible for A 28-0 score at that point.  The defense has been doing it's job against one of the better QBs in the league.  The Offense has not been doing it's job against one of the more marginal defenses in the league.  I assign more blame to the offense as a whole.  At this point, the game was "out-of-hand" and the defense struggled more, but for 1/2 the game they played pretty decent.  I don't agree the offense ever did.  YMMV

5) Ponder, rightly or wrongly, was supposed to be the leader of the offense on Thursday.  He fell woefully short.  Even on their first series where they got a first down, that was on two Asiata runs, not because Ponder had anything to do with it.  He stared down Patterson on his first pass which was tipped by a GB linebacker and fell incomplete.  Later, he also badly missed a wide open McKinnon only 2 yards from the LOS.  Ponder was being carried by Asiata (if anything).  The OL did Ponder no favors on a couple of plays, but even when Ponder had good protection, and he did some of the time, Ponder rarely made positive plays.

6) Bridgewater made the plays when he needed to.  Period.  I don't know if it's because he's a legitimate passing threat (although I suspect it's because of that) or what, but it seemed we ran better, and blocked better.  In reality, we have the same "warts" as Zimmer put it, but Teddy is able to "elevate" those around him so they are not so noticable.  Ponder is not.  It may not be fair, but it's the way the cards have fallen.  I wish Ponder was a good QB, I really do.  He seems like a 'stand-up' guy and I hope he does better and ultimately plays well for some other team.  I truly believe at this point, he never will.  The mistakes made by a young defense?  I still have faith that they can be fixed.  The OL?  I'm getting more cynical, but I'm hopeful they can be fixed.  Ponder?  4th year in the league and looking like he did when he was a Rookie?  I convinced he will look like this whether in his 4th or 14th year in the NFL from now. >.<